After winning both the PFA player of the year and young player of the year awards this season and contributing 19 goals in the Premiership to help Tottenham fight for a Champions League place, surely Gareth Bale can finally claim to be one of the world’s finest players at this moment in time. Although still only 23 years old he will be well aware that he is being mentioned in the same breath as Messi and Ronaldo and no doubt keen to start winning some trophies to go with the individual awards that he has picked up so far.
Whilst Andre Villas Boas has managed to get the best out of him this season by often giving him the freedom to play just behind a lone striker, it seems highly unlikely that Spurs can realistically challenge for league or European honours. Is now the right time for him to move elsewhere?
If Bale is to stay in England then it will require a huge bid for Tottenham to consider selling to a direct rival. Manchester City and Chelsea would seem like the only candidates to sign him, as Manchester United very rarely spend anything like the reported £50m plus that he would cost. If a move abroad is a possibility then perhaps Spain could be the preferred destination. The Welshman has admirers in both Barcelona and Madrid and it would be very interesting to see him line up in the colours of either giant club. Whatever his decision, it would seem best for his trophy aspirations to look away from White Hart Lane and assess where he has the best chance of success.